This noble oblation being well performed, we may securely and confidently proceed to the asking of any gifts and graces. First, therefore, Almighty God is to be prayed to with inflamed charity and ardent zeal of his divine honor, for the conversion of all nations, that all people may be illuminated with the knowledge of him, praying and adoring him as the only true and living God. To this end, from the bottom of our hearts, we may utter the words of the kingly prophet: “Let people, O God, confess to thee; let all people give praise to thee” (Ps 66:4).

Long-Standing Statue of Jesus Honors Memory of Soldier-Skiers Who Fought in World War II

In Whitefish, Montana, the spectacular view from anywhere on Big Mountain up to its summit over 6,800 feet overlooks placid Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, and the Valley below, while its slopes have attracted skiers for decades.

Near Glacier National Park, this hardly seems a place where a battle goes on over a statue called “Big Mountain Jesus.”

The statue has stood on a tiny 25-foot-by-25-foot piece of leased land high up on the mountain for over 60 years as a memorial honoring soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division who lost their lives fighting in the Alps of Italy.

But it has somehow “offended” a group of atheists who want it removed. The...READ MORE

Why should Catholics in particular be concerned about the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage? Does this have any significance to the plotline of the human story?

Here I must issue a spoiler alert: stop reading now if you don’t want to know what happens at the end.

In 2008, after offering Holy Mass at the tomb of Padre Pio, Cardinal Carlo Caffarra was asked about the spiritual warfare over the battleground of the family.

In his day, Cardinal Caffarra was founding President of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, and was closely involved with the preparation of Familiaris Consortio, Pope St. John Paul II’s prophetic apostolic exhortation...READ MORE

As Protestant pundit Cal Thomas illustrates, people tend to deny any and all connection between themselves and the object of their hostility. They rename sauerkraut “liberty cabbage” when at war with Germans and French fries “freedom fries” when mad at France and they try to pretend that Muslims and Christians “don’t worship the same God” ever since 9/11. Protestants like Thomas are free (if you call it that) to try to overcome the Law of Non-Contradiction by main force. But American Catholics who are in this mood do not have the same luxury.

Not that they don’t try. But two forces tend to stop them.

First, there are atheists who tend to make treacherous allies in the Clash of...READ MORE

Years ago, I heard a reference to a podcast that sounded like it would be interesting, if irrelevant to me. The friend recommending it, herself an avid cook, thought the idea of food meeting faith was both novel and applicable. I quite agreed.

I do not, however, really like to cook. And while I like to eat, I couldn't imagine that spending the time listening to a cook talking would be very interesting, however Catholic they may be.

I kept hearing about this Catholic Foodie guy, though, and he seemed pretty interesting. He seemed like someone I would like, even if *I* don't like to cook. Out of curiosity, I finally tuned in.

Now, close to six years since I listened to my first episode,...READ MORE

Sexual violence doesn’t cease being a moral evil simply because the perpetrator and the victim agree to the brutality.

The following headline flashed across my screen recently: “EL James to publish Fifty Shades sequel telling story from hero’s point of view.” The opening sentence read: “Christian Grey, the enigmatic, dominating protagonist of EL James’Fifty Shades of Greytrilogy, is about to tell the world his own story, from how he became a successful entrepreneur by the age of 27 to why he has a ‘Red Room of Pain’ on hand for his lover.”

Hero? Enigmatic? Protagonist? Lover?

This from The Guardian, not People Magazine or US Weekly. And the article is describing a literary character who manipulates an insecure woman into becoming his sexual plaything in his twisted world of sexual deviancy.

Would Jesus approve of gay “marriage,” as Jimmy Carter says? How Christians of every kind of persuasion threaten to turn Jesus into a sock puppet.

One of my favorite lines in Robert Bolt’s stage play A Man for All Seasons which was not carried over into the 1965 film comes during an exchange between Sir Thomas More and the Spanish ambassador Signor Chapuys (a character omitted in the film).

Chapuys, who is politically opposed to King Henry’s wish to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon, takes More for an ally — but More’s position is nuanced, and Chapuys is startled by the Lord Chancellor’s insistence on his loyalty to his king. Remonstrating with More, Chapuys “glibly” quotes, “Render under Caesar the things which are Caesar’s” — and then, raising a “reproving finger,” adds, “But unto God—”

Your unruly brood, believe it or not, can become a sign – almost like a living habit that adorns your marital covenant

The Church must always seek to make her presence visible in everyday life,
which is often very secularized and yet sensitive to the language of signs.
—Pope St. John Paul II

The horse-and-buggies are the first sign that you’re approaching Indiana’s Amish country. Our kids and our out-of-state visitors ooh and aah, point and smile – the simplicity is otherworldly, especially when the 18-wheelers fly by. Even after two decades living nearby, I’m still caught off guard by the stark contrast.

Then we get out someplace – a restaurant or a shop – and encounter the Amish themselves. There’s no denying that we’re tourists, and we don’t want to be rude, but we find ourselves staring anyway. The...READ MORE